The present invention relates to the field of material science and, more particularly, to the field of material science where graphene or few-layer-graphene is deposited onto a substrate.
Recently, graphene and few-layer-graphene (FLG) have been extensively studied as materials for making future electronic devices. Graphene and FLG have exceptional properties, such as high carrier mobility (up to 20,000 cm2/Vs), high saturation velocities, a stable 2D crystal structure, potential to realize ballistic transport at room temperature, and processing compatibility with state-of-the-art silicon technology. Graphene-based electronic devices have been fabricated to study its superior transport properties. Two of the challenges to making commercially viable graphene based electronics are incorporating graphene or FLG material over large areas and fabricating nanoscale features to achieve the desired electronic properties (e.g. to open band-gap in the electronic structure of graphene). Several approaches have been attempted to produce graphene for large area electronics, including epitaxial growth, transfer-printing, solution-based deposition, and chemical vapor deposition. At the same time, efforts have been made to tailor graphene sheets into nanoscale features (e.g. nanoribbons). A method of depositing graphene or FLG having micro- or nano-scale features over large areas would be a benefit to graphene based electronics fabrication.